


Rhododendrons in May

by SuperHooplah



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu | Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Genre: Alternate Universe - Princess Diaries 2, Arranged Marriage, Cousins, FE Rarepair Week 2018, Family can be two potates and a knife, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Inspired by Princess Diaries, M/M, Mutual Pining, Weddings, the boys, they cry so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 20:13:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15565566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperHooplah/pseuds/SuperHooplah
Summary: Oifey always said “Your father chose the love of another over the love of his country. When he passed and I had to take the throne, I vowed I wouldn’t make the same mistake." But as Seliph leaned out of a window, vomiting on his wedding day, he couldn't help but think that Oifey was wrong.





	Rhododendrons in May

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wyvernlordminerva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyvernlordminerva/gifts), [Huzzah4Bisqts](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Huzzah4Bisqts).



Seliph heard that weddings were supposed to stressful days, but as he stood inside, vomiting out a window, he decided to believe that they weren’t supposed to be this stressful. Seliph stood up shakily before looking over his suit to make sure that he didn’t contaminate any of it. Oifey had stressed how important this suit was; his father had worn it the day he was coronated.

‘ _Gods, this suit is so uncomfortable’_ Seliph thought, fiddling with the ornamental badges. Seliph sighed and looked to the sky. _‘What a lovely day for a wedding,’_ he couldn’t help but think, _‘thinks the boy who planned to leave his fiancee at the altar.’_

As the son of the late King Sigurd and Queen Deirdre, Seliph was expected to inherit the throne to all of Grannvale. However, he was just a baby when they passed, and so the throne went to Oifey, a distant relative who was next in line. If Oifey had wished to have children, Seliph would have lost his claim to the throne. That wasn’t Oifey’s plan though. From what Seliph understood, his father had saved Oifey at one point, so in turn, Oifey decided that Seliph would be his heir. However, there was now a new problem: Seliph would not be able to claim the throne unless he took a spouse.

Seliph took a deep breath and stopped fiddling with the regalia on his suit. ‘ _Alright Seliph, Today is the day you become a man that your parents would be proud,’_ he thought, looking into the mirror. _‘That’s what Oifey would say… I think.’_ Seliph thought, puffing his chest out.

“Now listen well, Prince Seliph,” he said, putting his finger to his upper lip to imitate his guardian’s moustache, “Your father chose the love of another over the love of his country. When he passed and I took the throne, I vowed I wouldn’t make the same mistake. The love of one’s country is always more important,” he finished, raising his head and closing his eyes like Oifey would do when he was done lecturing Seliph.

“Was that supposed to be Oifey?” a voice cut through the silence left by Seliph’s fake lecture.

“Gah! Shannan, I’m so sor-” Seliph said, turning around quickly before seeing it was Ares who had caught him off guard.

“Shannan?” Ares said, smirking as he leaned against the door frame.

“Look, for as long as I’ve know him, I have never heard Shannan enter a room once. It was a good guess.” Seliph said, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

“Go sit down, you just messed up your hair,” Ares sighed, grabbing a hair brush. Seliph felt panic begin to settle in and he turned to the mirror in an attempt to fix his hair. However, a strong hand gripped his shoulder and pulled him over to the chair. “I said sit,” Ares said, pushing down on Seliph’s shoulder until he planted himself in the chair. “Better,” Ares said, before beginning to run the brush through Seliph’s hair.

As Ares brushed his hair, Seliph closed his eyes and focused on just breathing. ‘ _You can do this Seliph. Don’t think about how handsome he- ah fuck,_ ’ Seliph thought, looking at his best man in the reflection of the mirror. Ares was looking at his with his eyes half lidded and that almost natural scowl that was always seemed to be there. _‘Well, not always,’_ Seliph thought, _‘There was the day I told him about how I was going to marry Nanna and he had the fakest smile I’ve ever seen.’_

“So. Are you liking the pink suit?” Seliph asked, trying to meet Ares’ gaze in the mirror. The brush stopped as Ares looked at him.

“I’m a guy who loves black and is wearing pink. Do you think I like wearing this?” Ares asked, glaring at Seliph. Seliph couldn’t help but let a chuckle slip through at Ares’ angered expression. “Yeah, you sit there laughing. See if I ever help you again.” Ares huffed, before resuming his work.

“I mean, I don’t think you get that choice anymore. Duchess Lachesis would be furious if you didn’t aid her daughter. And seeing as how we’re going to be married so-” Seliph said, but he felt the brush still in his hair, causing him to stop speaking.

“I guess,” Ares said, removing the brush from Seliph’s hair. “I’m finished with your hair. Please try to not mess it up again.” Seliph popped up out of the chair and struck the silliest pose he could imagine.

“How do I look Ares?” Seliph asked, trying to get a rise out of his friend. Ares looked at him for awhile before his lips curled up into that fake smile that Seliph despised.

“Breathtaking. My cousin is a lucky girl,” Ares said, before walking out of the room. Seliph felt deflated and he sank into the chair again. _‘Hey Seliph! You know what would be such a great idea?! Let’s talk to the guy you love more than anything in this world about how you’re going to marry his fucking cousin!! HA! Won’t that be funny?’_ Seliph couldn’t help but think, cradling his face in his hands.

Before he could wallow in his sorrow any longer, Seliph heard a gentle knock on the door. “C-Come in!” Seliph called, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. The door opened and there stood Julia, his baby cousin who was barely sixteen, done up as the maid of honor. At the sight of her, Seliph couldn’t stop the tears from falling. Julia quickly shut the door and hurried over the chair to wrap her arms around Seliph.

“Oh, Seliph... Please don’t cry,” Julia asked, squeezing her arms in an attempt to comfort Seliph.

“J-Julia, I can’t do this. I don’t love Nanna. Sure, she is a fantastic girl and anyone would be lucky to have her as their wife but… but I can’t!” Seliph cried out, his tears falling onto Julia’s arms. Julia released him from her hold and walked around the chair to cup his face with her hands.

“Seliph, I know you don’t love her. But if you don’t do this, then Julius is next in line, and who knows what my father will force him to do. I truly wish that this could happen any other way. Please Seliph, take a deep breath.” Julia said, leaning forward and resting her forehead against Seliph’s. After a few choked up sobs, the tears stopped and Seliph was breathing normally again. Julia pulled back and smiled at Seliph “There’s the happy groom,” she said, sorrow in her eyes. Seliph stood up and straightened out the suit jacket before looking at Julia again.

“I’m going to assume you didn’t know I was having an emotional breakdown back here, so why did you come by?” Seliph asked, looking to Julia.

“Well, I was going to tell you something that I had overheard but I don’t think it will help your mood right now.” Julia admitted, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Seliph took a deep breath.

“Just… Just go for it, I highly doubt it can be worse than this,” Seliph said, bracing himself for the news.

“Well, Shannan is leaving,” Julia blurted out, causing Seliph to freeze up.

“Shannon… is leaving?” Seliph asked, his brain trying to process what had just been said. “But… He’s always been here! Shannan practically raised me alongside Oifey. How could he leave us?!” Seliph continued, beginning to pace about the room.

“That’s what I thought too,” Julia said, “but it turns out that Shannan is part of the Isaachian royal bloodline. I heard his plan was to see you off and then head to his homeland in order to assist their new ruler, Queen Larcei.”

“Do you think Oifey knows?” Seliph asked.

“No clue. I think Shannan might be hiding it because he knows how hard it will be if you both find out. For whatever reason Shannan ended up here, I think he stayed because you two were the closest thing he had to family.” Julia admitted. Seliph looked to the mirror one last time before heading towards the door.

“I’m going to go talk to him. If he thinks he can just up and leave on us then he has another thing coming!” Seliph announced, before heading out of the room. Julia couldn’t help but feel a smile find its way onto her lips.

* * *

 

Now, if Seliph was Shannan, where would he be…? Normally, Shannan could be found near Oifey, due to him being the King’s personal guard. However, knowing about how much of a worrywart Oifey is, Oifey probably told Shannan to watch out for Seliph, which would mean…

“Shannan?” Seliph called out, hoping the guard was nearby.

“Lord Seliph,” Shannan answered, seeming to appear out of nowhere and startling Seliph “I do believe that you should be making your way over to the altar soon.”

“Ah, yes. Could you walk with me?” Seliph asked.

“Of course, My Lord.” Shannan replied, signaling towards two other soldiers to head the way he had most likely been walking. The pair began to walk through the church, silent.

“Hey, Shannon?” Seliph asked, looking to the guard.

“Yes, Lord Seliph?” Shannon replied, continuing to walk forward.

“Before all of this happens, I just want to say… I’m sorry you’re leaving,” Seliph said, looking to see how Shannan would react. Which was fair, because Shannan stopped dead in his tracks.

“Who told you that?” Shannan asked, facing Seliph.

“Julia knows everything” Seliph replied, shrugging. Shannon nodded, as if that was a plausible excuse.

“Hmm, well, Although I have served as King Oifey’s personal guard for many years, I think it would be about time for me to retire when you are coronated.” Shannan replied, beginning to walk down the hallway again.

“Does Oifey know?” Seliph asked, and once again, Shannan stopped dead in his tracks. “I’ll take that as a no, then.”

“I… have not found the time to tell him about my planned departure,” Shannan admitted, looking down with shame.

“It’s because you love him. You can’t tell him because it will hurt having to say goodbye...” Seliph trailed off when he saw Shannan’s face. The smile that Shannan was giving him was the most painful expression Seliph had ever seen.

“I love him more than anything,” Shannan whispered, and if he hadn’t immediately covered his mouth, Seliph would have thought he had misheard Shannan. Shannan turned to Seliph. “But it will hurt to say goodbye to you both.” Shannan said, walking towards Seliph and placing his hands on Seliph’s shoulder.

“Why can’t you stay then?” Seliph asked, but Shannan could see that the boy was pleading with him.

“Seliph ...The heart does things for reasons that reason cannot understand,” Shannon said, patting the boy’s shoulders.

“I… I know. I can get myself the rest of the way. Thank you again. For everything, Shannan,” Seliph said, walking ahead of the guard. Shannan sighed before reaching out and placing a hand on Seliph’s shoulder

“Seliph,” Shannan said, “You should know that I saw Lord Ares in a complete state of disarray this morning. I’ll admit, He cleans up quite nicely, but his eyes are still a little red. Imagine, to be the best man at the wedding for the person you love more than anything.” Seliph looked back at him.

“Are… Are you sure?” Seliph asked, trying deal with the fact that his best friend, best man, and lifelong crush was distraught that he was getting married. Shannan simply pat his shoulder and smiled.

“Well, Julia does know everything,” the guard quipped, before walking back down the corridor. Seliph quickly made his way down the hallway and finally saw the wedding party. Seliph moved his way through the crowd until he was standing next to Ares, who was talking to one of the lords. Ares glanced over to acknowledge Seliph and continued chatting about whatever politics had started the conversation, so Seliph was left to just stand and wait before it was time to walk into the church.

After awhile, Seliph was greeted to the sight of Lewyn, a scholar who had tutored him in his younger years. Except it now seemed that he was… the wedding planner?

“Alright everybody, I’ve gotten a head count and it seems like everybody is here. Now remember, the choir is going to get through three verses of _Blessed be the Ties that Bind_ and only after they are done will you enter the church! Do I make myself clear? CED! I WAS SPECIFICALLY TALKING TO YOU! PAY ATTENTION-” Lewyn was practically screaming at this point, until he glanced to his side and noticed that Seliph was standing right next to him “Ah! Prince Seliph. My apologies, I didn’t realize you were here.” Lewyn said, grasping Seliph’s hands in his. “I understand this is a stressful day, so I’m trying to take some of the burden off of you and King Oifey,” Lewyn said, smiling at the prince.

“Uhh… thanks Lewyn! How kind of you to think of me,” Seliph replied, looking to Ares with an uneasy smile. Ares looked at him but immediately averted his gaze, which was clearly Ares’ way of asking Seliph to leave him alone.

“Seliph?’ Lewyn asked, catching the prince’s attention once more, “Just try to have a good day today. I’m going to go tell the musician that we’ll be getting started.” Lewyn said, before turning around and heading through the doors.Seliph took a deep breath before clearing his throat in order to get Ares’ attention. However, the blonde was stubborn and continued to fix his gaze at the same spot on the wall, seemingly intent on ignoring Seliph.

 _‘What a jerk,’_ Seliph thought, crossing his arms and looking away. _‘Whatever. It’s like what I didn’t deserve this for how I acted earlier,’_ Seliph considered, before looking back to Ares. Gods, Ares looked so miserable right now. Seliph took a deep breath.

“Ares, I… I wanted to apologize for earlier. And I know you’re still mad at me, but I’m sorry,” Seliph said, reaching out to touch Ares’ hand in a hope to get the blonde’s attention. Ares quickly snapped his hand back.

“What do you want?!” Ares snapped, glaring at Seliph.

“Help me,” Seliph blurted out, before quickly covering his mouth.

“What?!” Ares asked, but before he could dig further, Seliph raised his hands up.

“Ah! It- It’s nothing!” Seliph chuckled, trying to defuse the situation. However, Ares kept looking at Seliph with an astonished expression. It wasn’t until Lewyn opened the door to signal that the party had to start walking down the aisle that Ares stopped looking at the prince.

 _‘It’s funny,’_ Seliph realized, as the doors opened into the church, _‘how much I looked forward to being married when I was young’._ The procession moved rather slowly, but with purpose. Seliph looked around the church to see if he could recognize anyone in the crowd.

_‘Lester and Lana are looking nice. Oh, and there’s their cousin Febail. Let's hope that Patty is nearby and not raiding the kitchen for snacks.’_

_‘Oh, Arthur is here! And there’s his sister Tine. I bet if you swapped their clothes and put Arthur’s hair up, you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart… Well. I guess Arthur is taller.’_

_‘Ah, glad to see the Frieges made it. No I’m not. They can go fuck themselves.’_

As the wedding party came to the altar, Seliph nodded to the archbishop before standing in his position. The music began to swell, and there she was.

Nanna was walking towards Seliph, her arm linked in her father’s, Beowulf, with a big smile. Her dress was beautiful, and she was beautiful, but it was in a sickening sense of the word. When Seliph’s breath stopped in his throat, it was as like looking at a cake that had to many of those frosting flowers. It was lovely to look at, but if you were to actually eat it, you would become sick from all of the sugar. However, if Seliph closed his eyes, he could imagine that Nanna’s hair was longer, and that her features were sharper, and suddenly all of his terror would disappear. But then Seliph would remember that Ares standing behind him in that _awful_ pink suit and the dread would set in again. Nanna finally reached the altar and leaned over to give her father a kiss on the cheek before he returned to his seat. Seliph could feel his heart begin to race as he began to look at Nanna and see Ares in her face. Seliph looked from his bride-to-be to the archbishop.

“Umm. I… I’m so sorry. I’m going to need a minute or two,” Seliph blurted out, and before anyone could figure out what was going on, Seliph ran down the aisle and out the doors.

As the prince disappeared from view, the church remained still, keeping up the image that the groom had not just walked out on his bride. Ares began to move after his friend, but a hand grabbed his arm before he could get any further. Ares looked back only to see that it was King Oifey Chalphy himself.

“Let me,” Oifey said, releasing the blonde’s arm. The King walked down the aisle and was greeted by Lewyn.

“Do we rush after him?” Lewyn asked, a panic in his voice.

“We never rush,” Oifey said, attempting to calm the scholar. However, the king couldn’t shake the dread in his stomach. “We hasten. Can you handle all of this?” Oifey asked, motioning to the crowd. Lewyn nodded quickly and Oifey pat him on the shoulders.“Good man.” Oifey replied, before leaving through the doors with grace befitting of a King. “OUT OF MY WAY!” Alright, not all of the grace befitting of a King.

* * *

 

As Oifey rushed through the church corridors, he couldn’t help but feel his heart in his throat. _‘Gods, if you even still listen to my prayers, let him be okay.’_ Oifey couldn’t help but think as he exited the church. Oifey looked all around, but he couldn’t see Seliph anywhere. Oifey could feel himself becoming pale. _‘Haven’t I suffered enough? First you steal the man who was the closest thing I had to an older brother from me and thrust his dysfunctional kingdom into my hands, but now the boy who I have come to love as my own?!’_ Oifey slammed his fist against the wall.

A sob broke through the silence, and Oifey looked to where it came from. Hidden from sight, tucked away amongst the blue rhododendrons, was Seliph. Oifey quickly turned and walked to the boy. “Oh Seliph-” Oifey began, but Seliph quickly stood up and wiped the tears from his eyes.

“Oifey! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry. I- I just need a minute. I can do this.” Seliph cried out, quivering where he stood. Oifey watched Seliph as the boy kept trying to fight the tears away with his jacket sleeve.

“No,” Oifey said, shaking his head.

“I can’t do this,” Seliph choked out, tears flowing freely once more. Oifey wrapped his arms around Seliph, pulling him into a hug.

“I know,” Oifey whispered, rubbing Seliph’s back as he cried. “Seliph, listen to me. I made my choice. My love for my country over my love for someone else. It’s what I’ve always done, it seems. It's been drummed into me all my life. When your father passed away, I was left as the heir to the throne.” Oifey explained, trying to get the boy to calm down. “I had to fight tooth and nail to return this country to what it once was. I couldn’t afford to give my heart to someone. But now…” Oifey said, pulling away from the hug to look Seliph in the eyes. “I’ve lost the only man I ever really loved.” Oifey said, looking to Seliph. Seliph quickly wiped away his tears and looked to Oifey and then behind him. Oifey looked behind himself and saw Shannan standing close by, watching the two of them. Oifey felt a blush spread across his cheeks, realizing that Shannan probably heard a good majority of that speech. Clearing his throat, Oifey turned his attention back to Seliph.

“What I am trying to say is,” Oifey said, looking Seliph in the eyes “Seliph. I want you to make your own choices. Not as your father’s son, but as your own person. Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Make your own mistakes. There will be plenty of them, believe me.” Letting go of Seliph, Oifey sighed. “Now you can go back into that church and get married,” Oifey began, gesturing towards the church “Or you can walk away. Whatever choice you make…” Oifey paused, looking to the prince. _‘My, how he has grown into a fine young man,’_ Oifey thought, before smiling. “I want you to let it come from your heart,” Oifey finished, looking to Seliph. Seliph stood perfectly still before smiling and crashing into Oifey, wrapping the man in a tight hug.

“I- I love you, Dad,” Seliph cried out, causing Oifey to laugh. The man wound his arms around Seliph.

“I love you too… Son,” Oifey said, beginning to feel himself tear up. Seliph pulled away from the hug and smiled.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have my own wedding to crash.” Seliph said, heading back towards the church. However, Seliph stopped and turned around. Before Oifey or Shannan could even react, Seliph had wrapped his arms around Shannan. “And don’t you think I don’t love you too, Shannan.” Seliph said, keeping Shannan trapped in the hug. Shannan looked to Oifey and chuckled.

“I love you as well, Seliph,” Shannan replied, smiling at the prince. Seliph pulled away and began to run into the church.

“It’s go time!”

* * *

 

Lewyn quickly closed the door and signaled with his hand. “He’s coming back. Places, everyone!” He said, rushing back to the spot he had been.

The door to the church opened, and Seliph strode down the aisle towards the altar. The musician attempted to begin playing music, but Seliph had reached the altar before they could even finish. Bounding up the steps, Seliph turned to Nanna and took her hands in his.

“Nanna. Everyone deserves the chance to find true love, right?” Seliph asked, causing Ares to cringe behind him.

“Yes?” Nanna said, a look of confusion clear on her face.

“Including us?” Seliph asked, removing his hands. Nanna looked to quickly to her mother and father before quickly nodding.

“Yes, even us.” She replied, looking to the floor.

“I'm sorry, Nanna. I can't marry you. Trust me, you are a fantastic woman but I... I can’t do this" Seliph said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Seliph… Thank you” Nanna whispered.

“For what?” Seliph asked, quirking his head to the side.

“For saving me from doing the proper thing for once in my life,” Nanna said, looking up and smiling at Seliph.

“Oh. Alright, well. I'm gonna go do a big speech now, so you can go sit if you want,” Seliph said, removing his hand from her shoulder.

“Thanks,” Nanna said, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Seliph’s cheek. “These heels were killing me.” Nanna walked down the steps and sat down next to her mother. Lachesis looked to Seliph and then to Nanna.

“Is everything alright, dear?” Lachesis whispered to her daughter. Nanna smiled to her mother.

“Yep, everything is going to be fine,” Nanna said, before leaning to rest her head on her mother’s shoulder.

Seliph made his way over to the church’s lectern and stood tall behind it. Taking a deep breath, Seliph began to speak.

“Welcome,” Seliph said, smiling to the collected wedding guests. “A few moments ago, I realized that I was only getting married because of a law, and that didn’t seem like a good enough reason. So… I won’t be getting married today.” The wedding guests began to murmur to one another and Seliph cleared his throat in order to regain their attention. “My… adoptive father,” Seliph began, looking to where Oifey was standing at the back of the church. “He has ruled this country without anybody by his side for a long time. He’s ruled for twenty years, and you know what! He rocks at it!” Seliph said, causing Oifey to facepalm.

“So as the son of King Sigurd and Queen Deirdre, this rule would have meant everything. BUT, as the son of King Oifey, I ask you all to think about this rule. Think of your children, and ask yourself ‘would you force them to do what you are trying to make me do?’ I believe I will be a great King. I understand that Grannvale is a country that combines the beauty of the past with all the best hope for tomorrow. I feel in my heart and soul that I can rule Grannvale. I… I love Grannvale. Do you think that I would be up here in my Father’s coronation suit if I didn’t?! I stand here… ready to take my place as your king. Without a spouse!” Seliph finished, looking on to the now silent audience. Not a single sound could be heard until a single, slow clap could be heard. Seliph looked to see Duke Arvis, the Lord of Velthomer, and Julia and Julius’ father, slowly standing and clapping.

“Every time,” Arvis began, a stern look on his face, “Every time this charming young man opens his mouth, he demonstrates a contempt for the customs of Grannvale.” Arvis shook his head. “The law clearly states that an heir must be married in order to take the throne.” Arvis stated, exiting his pew. “Fortunately, there is another heir.” Arvis said, smiling. The guests began to murmur amongst one another, and Seliph could hear his cousin’s name whispered through out.  Seliph felt his knees begin to weaken, and he nearly lost his stomach when the church door slammed open.

Standing in the doorway was Julius, and right behind him was Julia. “NOT TODAY, FATHER!” Julius yelled out, causing the crowd to silence and for Arvis to face his son. Julius pushed past his father and stood in the middle of the aisle. “There is no other heir. I refuse to be King. Under the eyes of the Gods in this church, I hereby renounce my claim to the throne of Grannvale.” Julius stated, crossing his arms. Arvis began to stutter, but before he could get a word in, Julius was already speaking again.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, it is Prince Seliph who should have the crown. He is bright and he is caring. However, the reason he is more fit to be King then I is that he has a vision! He has told my sister and I about it so many times that I can’t even keep track! One that will take Grannvale forward, and if the people were astute, they would name him King. Listen to him, he will lead us into a brighter era,” Julius said, looking back to Seliph and smiling. In that moment, Seliph felt he was seeing his cousin in a new light.

“And besides, just think how lovely he’ll look on the coins.” Julius said, addressing the crowd once more as he walked down the aisle and out the door. Yep, no. Julius was the same cousin as always. As soon as Julius had walked out the door, Arvis began to follow after him. “LOVELY ON THE COINS! YOU WOULD LOOK LOVELY ON THE COINS. DON’T YOU WALK AWAY FROM ME, SIR! YOU HAVE A DUTY TO YOUR COUNTRY-!” Arvis yelled after his son, before quieting down. “...My apologies. He uhh, is very distressed.”

As soon as Arvis was out the door, Oifey leaned over towards Shannan. “Shut the doors quickly,” The King whispered, and Shannan montioned for some men to close up the doors. After the commotion caused by Arvis, some of the wedding guests had begun to talk amongst themselves. Lewyn walked over towards Oifey and Shannan.

“Quick, do either of you know who is next in line for the throne?” Lewyn asked, looking about quickly. Oifey sighed.

“The Frieges.” Just as the words escaped his mouth, Lord Bloom and Lady Hilda stood up in unison.

“WE ACCEPT.” The two yelled out, causing several people in the crowd to boo.

“Sit. Down.” Shannan snapped, and the two quickly returned to their seats. Shannan could only assume that the cheering was started by the people who had been booing, but pretty soon, the entire church had begun cheering for King Seliph. Seliph smiled and began to walk down the aisle to meet with Oifey, who was walking towards him. The two met in the middle and embraced, causing the wedding guests to cheer even louder. Before Oifey could move away, Seliph leaned in.

“You know… just because I didn’t get my fairy-tale happy ending, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. I mean, we did get all of these people together for a wedding.” Seliph whispered, causing Oifey’s eyes to widen.

“ I, umm. I don’t know about this-” Oifey mumbled, but as he pulled away from Seliph and looked to where Shannan was, Seliph noticed Oifey’s expression softened. “No. I do know about this.” Oifey said, turning down the aisle and walking towards Shannan. Everyone’s eyes were on him, Oifey could feel it. Then again, when had anyone else’s eyes ever mattered more than Shannan’s to him.

“Shannan?” Oifey said, approaching the dark haired man. Shannan turned away from Lewyn to face the King.

“Your Majesty,” He replied curtly, before noticing the blush on Oifey’s face. Oifey took a deep breath before taking Shannan’s hands in his.

“Am I too late…” Oifey said, looking into Shannan’s eyes “...to ask for your hand in marriage?” The room seemed to fall quiet as everyone awaited Shannan’s answer. Shannan expression remained stern.

“Well, I thought you would never ask,” Shannan replied, now smiling. Shannan turned to one of the other guardsmen. Undoing the buckle that kept his sheath attached to his side, Shannan removed the sword from his side. “Shannam, take this,” Shannan said, handing the sword over. “You’re in charge now, good luck with Ulster. I’m going to a wedding.” Catching on, Lewyn sprinted off, determined to get the musicians playing again. Oifey extended his arm and Shannan wrapped his around it, and to the sound of _Blessed be the Ties that Bind_ , the two began to walk up the Aisle.

“I apologize to you all for this being short notice, but I thought I might as well walk up and down this aisle a few more times today,” Oifey chuckled out. “But you were all dressed for it!”

“You are such a fool,” Shannan sighed, shaking his head.

“Yes, but I suppose you love this fool,” Oifey responded, looking at Shannan with a dopey smile.

“I helped this fool raise a child,” replied Shannan as they reached the altar.

“My Lord Archbishop, I would like to take this man as my husband,” Oifey asked, slightly bowing his head. The Archbishop looked to both of the men.

“Finally,” the Archbishop sighed out, causing Oifey and Shannan to look at each other with confusion. “We gather here now for a different wedding. May I please have the rings?” The Archbishop asked, causing Oifey and Shannan to look at one another with panic.

“I’ve got this! I’ve got this!” Seliph yelled out, sprinting up the aisle. He eventually skidded to a stop in front of Nanna. “Duchess Nordion-” Seliph let out quickly, bowing to Lachesis. After a quick nod from her, Seliph turned to Nanna. “Hi. Sorry,” Seliph began, “I know it’s incredibly impolite to ask for the ring back because it’s supposed to be kept by the fiancee in order to support her and all that bu-” Seliph couldn’t even finish his statement before Nanna had practically thrown the ring at him.

“Quit stalling and take the ring, you doofus!” Nanna said, tears prickling the edges of her eyes and a big smile on her face.

“Alright. Thank you, once again!” Seliph said, leaning in to give Nanna a quick kiss on the cheek. Seliph turned around and ran up to the altar. “I’ve got them!” Seliph proclaimed, lifting the rings in the air and causing the wedding guests to cheer. Oifey shook his head.

“That was not very princely of you, Seliph,” He sighed out, before accepting the ring from Seliph.

“What? Is there a law saying I can’t be the ring bearer? Doesn’t really matter anyway because I guess I’ll be king soon,” Seliph said, causing Shannan to groan.

“Two fools,” He sighed, giving Oifey his hand.

“But we are your fools,” Oifey said, smiling. Taking the ring, Oifey slipped it onto Shannan’s finger. “With this ring, I, King Oifey Regalias Chalpy, finally wed.” The Archbishop nodded and raised his hands to silence the crowd.

“I now pronounce you man and husband. You may kiss the groom.” Before the words had enough time to leave the Archbishop’s mouth, Oifey leaned Shannan backwards slightly, and dip kissed him in front of all the royalty in Grannvale.

 

* * *

 

It is said that Grannvale became a nation due to the courage of twelve great warriors. So, in order to honor them, every king must display the skill of a Crusader in order to ascend the throne. As Seliph came of age, it was revealed that he would have to pay tribute to Ulir, the Archer. Seliph took a deep breath, fiddling with the bow he was holding. In all of the fuss over his wedding, Seliph may or may not have forgotten to practice his archery as much as he should have.

 _‘It doesn’t help that the arrow is on fire,’_ Seliph grimaced, looking to the tiny ring he was expected to shoot through. Seliph looked to the crowd and saw Oifey and Shannan smiling towards him. Seliph nodded to them as he held back a grimace. _‘You’ll be fine. If Leif can learn how to use every weapon in the entire armoury then you can shoot a arrow through a circle,’_ Seliph thought, picking up the arrow and preparing his bow.

Taking in a deep breath, Seliph closed his eyes and tried to remember the motions that went into wielding a bow. Blades felt the most natural to Seliph, because Oifey had taught them that they were an extension of his being. But archery was calculations. One couldn’t _feel_ how to use a bow. Seliph opened his eyes and focused on the target. As Seliph continued to look at the ring, it seemed to move further and further away. Determined not to panic, Seliph took a quick look into the crowd.

Standing far to the back, leaning against a castle wall, was Ares. He was now done up in his usual black regalia. Seliph could feel his heart stop as he looked over his friend’s attire. If Seliph thought hard enough, he could imagine Ares in his pink wedding attire. Seliph began to feel a blush creep onto his face. _‘Why do I get flustered every time I look at Ares?’_ Before Seliph could do anything else, Ares’ mouth formed a smirk, almost as if saying “Go on, I’m waiting.” Seliph quickly turned back to look at the target, which remained where it was, no longer fleeing. Seliph looked back to Ares and flashed him a quick smile.

Quickly nothing the arrow, Seliph leaned forward and dipped the arrow into the flame. _‘Alright, let's not light my bangs on fire in front of Ares… again,’_ Seliph thought, drawing the arrow back. After angling the bow, Seliph breathed out a quick prayer before releasing the string and closing his eyes. Seliph could never watch this part, because he couldn’t bear to think about what would happen if he missed.

Suddenly a scream let out, then several more. _‘Oh Gods, I hit someone and the whole crowd is on fire’_ Seliph said, eyes flying open. In front of him, the coronation ring was wreathed in a blaze of flame, and Seliph realized the crowd was cheering. Seliph whirled around and smiled before being knocked off of his feet by several excited crowd members.

After releasing himself from his friends, Seliph noticed that Oifey and Shannan were looking at him with their arms wide open. Seliph smiled and ran over, practically flinging himself into their arms.

“Did you see that, Dads? I did! I’m gonna be able to become King!” Seliph said, squeezing the two tightly. Oifey and Shannan shared a look, knowing that Seliph’s kingship did not ride on him shooting an arrow through a hoop. Oifey shrugged to Shannan before patting Seliph on the back.

“I knew that this wouldn’t be a challenge for you. You’ve made me very proud today Seliph,” Oifey said, patting Seliph’s head. Seliph pulled away and smiled at the two. As he did though, he noticed that Ares was once again frowning. As soon as Ares realized that Seliph had spotted him, Ares pushed off from the wall and walked away. Seliph felt his heart stop.

“Ummm. I need to go do something really important,” Seliph said, walking past his fathers to follow Ares.

“What? What could possibly be-” Oifey began, but Shannan took his hand and began to lead him away.

“Nope, he is right, he has to go do something very important. And I have to take my husband inside so we can get the dance started.” Shannan explained, winking to Seliph. Seliph smiled, but Oifey was still rather confused.

“Wait, but Seliph is supposed to start the-” Oifey attempted to say, but Shannan turned to him.

“We’re creating a diversion,” Shannan stated, before beginning to lead Oifey inside again.

“Diversion?” Oifey asked, before the realization dawned on him, “OH! Yes! Of course. How could I be so foolish.” Oifey puffed out his chest and looped Shannan’s arms through his. “Everyone knows it is tradition that the old King begin the dancing and THEN the new King will appear later to take over. Ah, old age must be getting to me,” Oifey chuckled, before noticing that Shannan and Seliph had become pale.

“Did I forget that? I- Is that actually a rule?” Seliph asked, causing Oifey to wink at him.

“No, I came up with it on the spot just now,” Oifey replied, smirking, “But it sounds official doesn’t it? Now go. Do your ‘important thing.” With a wave of Oifey’s arm, Seliph took off in the direction he had seen Ares go.

After running for a little bit, Seliph ended up in the castle’s gardens. Seliph searched high and low, but eventually, Seliph found Ares in the roses. The blonde had been lightly stroking one of the flower’s petals, but when Seliph entered the section, Ares quickly moved his hands away from the flower and crossed his arms as if to pretend Seliph hadn’t seen him. Ares cleared his throat.

“Ah, Seliph. What a surprise! I’m just here, admiring the roses,” Ares said, scoffing as he turned his head away. Seliph smiled.

“Hello Ares. Do you like them? My father had them put in because my mother loved their smell,” he commented, causing Ares to look at him.

“I guess they’re nice,” Ares remarked, plucking a petal from one of them, “Say, shouldn’t you be starting your coronation dance?”

“Nope!” Seliph said, plopping himself onto one of the benches. Ares sighed and sat next to Seliph. “You see, I’ve got something important to get done.” Seliph said, looking to Ares. Shaking his head, Ares sighed.

“The shouldn’t you be getting that done?” Ares said, leaning back. Seliph threw his arm over Ares’ shoulders, throwing the blonde off balance.

“Oh come on. How is not spending time with my former best man important?” Seliph replied, causing Ares is to offer up an awkward chuckle.

“Yeah, can we never bring that up again?” Ares asked, removing Seliph’s arm from his shoulders, “I wasn’t going to wear that dumb outfit but Julia and Nanna begged me to.” Seliph pouted at Ares before looking at the stars. Ares looked at him with confusion.

“How is… How is Nanna dealing with all of this? Is she well?” Seliph asked, tilting his head to the side to look at Ares. Ares looked at him before he began to chuckle. Pretty soon, The blonde was in tears from laughing.

“Is she well?” Ares exclaimed, fighting through his laughter, “How about you ask your cousin about that?” Seliph looked at Ares with a horrified expression as he began to stop laughing. Letting out a sigh, Ares continued. “She’s doing really well actually. Turns out that she dated your cousin Leif for awhile and he was racing towards the church on horseback as soon as she heard you were marrying her,” Ares said, trying to gauge Seliph’s reaction, “I heard he was preparing to duel you for her hand. Last time I checked in on them though, they were busy making out.” He finished, causing Seliph to blush.

“Oh y- yeah! That’s umm. That’s great for her! And Leif! Of course. I’m glad they are finding happiness with each other,” Seliph remarked, trying to hide his blush. The pair sat there for a while, a bit uneasy in their silence. Finally, Seliph turned to Ares.

“How… How were you taking all of this?” Seliph asked, causing Ares’s hair to almost whip him in the face as the blonde turned to look at him. There was a look of shock that Ares did well to quickly cover up.

“What do you mean how am I taking all of this?” Ares replied, crossing his arms, “I’m fine.” Seliph looked to the ground.

“... I don’t think you were,” Seliph whispered, but before he could comprehend what was happening, Ares had him in a headlock. It wasn’t a rough headlock, but Ares had begun messing up his hair, which caused Seliph to yelp.

“What was that! Punk! Say it again! I dare you!” Ares said, continuing to mess up Seliph’s hair. Seliph pushed against Ares’ arms and Ares finally let him go. The two ended up standing opposite of one another.

“I don’t think you were okay with me getting married!” Seliph yelled, causing Ares to blush furiously.

“W-What?! Why would you think that?!” Ares asked, taking a few step backwards. Seliph took a deep breath.

“Because why wouldn’t you?!” Seliph practically cried out, causing Ares to stand perfectly still, “Ares, Julia and Nanna told me about how you seemed so sad! At first I thought it was because you had to spend time around your aunt but then I started to look closer and it wasn’t just that. When you were helping me with my hair, you just seemed so… lost.” Seliph admitted, looking to the ground. Ares snapped.

“Well you know what, I’m not lost enough to put up with this!” Ares yelled before turning around and storming out of the garden. Before he could get furthur, Seliph leapt out and grabbed Ares’ hand.

“Ares please!”

“Seliph! Let go-” Before Ares could finish wrenching his hand from Seliph’s grasp, Seliph let go and quickly grasped onto his face. Their lips collided and Ares went still. As soon as he had started their kiss, Seliph pulled away and pulled his hands away from Ares’s face.

“I’m… sorry if I misread all of this,” Seliph said, looking away from his friend in shame. Ares’ hand slowly moved up to and his fingers touched his bottom lip. Seliph felt nauseous as Ares said nothing. “I just, I wanted you to know,” Seliph whispered, looking Ares in the eyes, “I couldn’t go through with all of this because I love you so much.” With that statement, tears began to well up in the corners of Ares’ eyes. Seliph felt his heart break into pieces. “Ares! I’m so sorry,” Seliph began, but before he could finish his apology, Ares looked to him.

“Why are you sorry?” Ares said, tears streaming down his cheeks as he cocked his head to the side in confusion.

“Y-You’re crying Ares.” Seliph said. Ares felt his cheeks and a shocked expression came to his face as he realized that his hands were wet. Quickly, the blonde wiped away his tears and smiled at Seliph.

“I..” Ares said, frantically searching Seliph’s face for something. Eventually, Ares just reached out to cup Seliph’s face and leaned forward. Their mouths met in the middle and Seliph felt like he was going to melt. Seliph grabbed onto Ares’ forearms and leaned in furthur. It felt… right. It felt wonderful. Seliph felt Ares’ smile when his leg popped up. Finally pulling away, the two looked at each other with faces flushed.

“I love you too, Seliph,” Ares said, pressing his forehead to Seliph’s. Ares gripped Seliph’s hands in his and lifted them towards his chest. “I… I know this may seem sudden, but…” Ares began, looking away from Seliph, “Would you marry me?” Seliph let out a laugh.

“I mean, the timing isn’t really great right now,” Seliph said, trying to joke with Ares, “ I mean, there would probably be some people who would think it weird that the prince gave a wonderful speech that moved the people to overlook an ancient law and then he immediately married a man a month later.” Ares smiled back.

“Come on Seliph, you know I love upsetting people,” Ares said, pressing a kiss to Seliph’s head.

“Would you wear the pink suit?” Seliph asked. Ares immediately frowned.

“Absolutely not.” Ares said, crossing his arms.

“Are you sure about that?” Seliph said, laughing slightly.

“... I will admit it was very comfortable. But I felt empty inside without my cape,” Ares admitted, looking down. Seliph’s hands flew up to his mouth and he let out a soft gasp.

“We can have matching capes,” Seliph exclaimed, causing Ares to laugh.

“Now who is the one trying to rush this?” Ares replied.

“Excuse you, I’m planning this out,” Seliph said, crossing his arms, “It took your cousin and I three months to plan that damn wedding-” Before he could finish that statement, Ares leaned over and kissed him again. After pulling away, Seliph covered his face to hide his blush. “What was that for?!” he exclaimed, causing Ares to smile.

“Never bring up the fact that you were about a minute away from marrying my cousin again,” Ares said.

Seliph let out a huff of frustration, “Fine,” before standing up on the bench and pointing at Ares. “But heed my words, Ares Hezul Nordion, I refuse to wear my father’s suit anymore! I am my own man now!” Seliph exclaimed, causing Ares to laugh even more.

“But what about Oifey! He will be so sad.” Ares replied, striking a dramatic pose. Seliph slapped his fist to his chest.

“Oifey has told me that it is time to make my own mistakes, and I’m thinking matching capes,” Seliph said, attempting to imitate Oifey. Ares double over with laughter before looking up and wiping a tear from his eye.

“Speaking of making your own mistakes,” Ares said, causing Seliph to look down at him. “What about your coronation dance?” He asked, causing Seliph to look at him with panic.

“I completely forgot.” Seliph said, growing pale. Ares reached out his hand and Seliph grabbed on to it to hop down from the bench.

“Then let’s get going.” Ares replied, tucking Seliph’s arm into his. As the two walked away from the garden, Seliph leaned his head onto Ares’ shoulder and… everything felt wonderful.

 

* * *

 

_An Epilogue_

 

_Ulster eventually surpassed Shannam (although it didn’t take him very long) and he went on to become the head of the guard._

_Bloom and Hilda became the most hated nobles in all the kingdom, despite their daughter’s marriage to Julius. He swore them out of his house and they lived the rest of their days in infamy._

_Julius eventually forgave his father, but he refused to be controlled by Arvis. He and Ishtar eventually found themselves in the favor of King Seliph, who employed Julius as his tactician._

_Arthur and Tine prospered as soon as the Frieges lost their political favor. Determined to rebuild the house Velthomer, the two dedicated most of their time to raising orphans and teaching them magic._

_Lana and Lester became a part of King Seliph’s court, with Lester becoming the royal huntsmaster and Lana becoming a renowned healer._

_Patty continued to get into trouble and Lebail continued to get her out of it._

_Ced vanished for a few years, only to return as a powerful mage. Lewyn stepped down as the royal scholar and Ced was quickly put in his place. The last anyone heard about Lewyn was that he was wandering the desert, playing tunes for a blue haired lancer._

_Queen Larcei was a strong ruler, and apparently did not need Shannan in order to lead the nation of Isaach into an age of prosperity._

_Lachesis and Beowulf were ecstatic when Leif proposed to Nanna, glad that Nanna was still able to marry a king._

_King Leif of Thracia ruled his country with a firm hand, but Queen Nanna was always there to remind him that kindness was an option too._

_Julia soon became Princess Julia, after Seliph did some deep digging through the family tree in order to find out that there was once a king who took his cousin as his heir._

_Seliph came to rule all of Grannvale as its rightful king, and a year later, he and Ares were wed, thus uniting Agustria and Grannvale._

_Last but not least, Oifey and Shannan enjoyed their ‘retirement’ as they watched Seliph turn Grannvale into a nation of peace._

**Author's Note:**

> A word for my editor and best friend wyvernlordminerva. She is amazing and you know that because she sent me the Shia Lebouf Just Do It speech when I was finishing this fic.
> 
> Gag Reel.
> 
> Oifey watched Seliph as the boy kept trying to fight the tears away with his jacket sleeve,  
> Oifey: What are you doing?  
> Seliph: I'M PUNCHING AWAY THE TEARS
> 
> Shannan: How did you know I was leaving?  
> Oifey: Julia knows everything
> 
> Oifey looked behind himself and saw Shannan standing close by, watching the two of them.  
> Ofiey: Oh fuck  
> Shannan: Only man you ever really loved huh?
> 
> Arvis: Ah yes. My evil master plan is working. Soon, all of Grannvale will be mine!  
> Julius: kicks open door NOT TODAY YOU OLD FUCK
> 
> Julius: Listen up you old fuckers, it's Prince Seliph who should have the crown!
> 
> Seliph began to feel a blush creep onto his face  
> Seliph: Why do I have to be so gosh darn gay?
> 
> Seliph (After seeing arrow go through hope, Gordin Voice): Did you see that Dad? I hit that ring right on the mark!
> 
> Ares (picking the rose)  
> Seliph: I wish I were that rose  
> Ares: What?  
> Seliph: I SAID YOU ARE GROSS


End file.
